Spear



W. L. CHURCH .SPEAR Filed Oct. 12, 1923 Patented July 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE.

WA TE L. CHURCH, ornous'ronrnxns, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF 4T0 L. M. PEARCE,

or HARRIs- COUNTY, 'rnxns.

SPEAR.

To all whom z't may concern.

Be it known that I, VVALTE' L. CHURCH,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Houston, in the county of Harris and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Spear, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a spear.

One object of the invention is to provide a tool of the character described which has been specially designed for the purpose of being let down into a well borejto engage with the pipe which may be stuck therein and by means of which the stuck pipe may be recovered.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a tool of the character described which may be readily released from the pi e and withdrawn in case the pipe is so tightly stuck that it cannot be withdrawn. i

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of a spear of the character described which is of very simple construction, which may be cheaply a-ndeasily manufactured, and readily' kept in repair and which is very effective in accomplishing the purposes intended. V With the above and other objects in view, the invention has particular relation to certain novel features of construction, operation and arrangement of parts, an example of which is given in this specification, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

wherein Figure 1 shows a side View of the spear.

Figure 2 shows a vertical, sectional view. Figure 3 shows a transverse sectional view taken on theline 33 of Figure 2; and,

Figure 4 shows a transverse sectional view taken on the line 4-'4 of Figure 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wl 1erein like numerals of refer ence designate similar parts in each of the figures, the numeral 1' designates a cylindrical mandrel to the upper end of which there is threaded a long coupling 2, whose upper end is internally threaded to receive the lower end of the stemv or string of pipe 3, by means of which the tool is handled in letting the same down into the stuck pipe, and in withdrawing the same. The lower end of the mandrel is enlarged form for ing ahead 4 whoselower end is rounded off or tapered, as at 5 to facilitate its entrance into the pipe. On opposite sides the head has the downwardly diverging flat faces, or ways 6, 6, formed with the central grooves 7, 7, dove tailed in cross section, and slidable on these respective faces or ways, are the pipev engaging jaws 8, 8, which, in genf eral contour, are tapered downwardly or wedge shaped. The outer faces of these aws are arcuate to conform to the shape of the pipe to be; pulled and are provided with the teeth 9 to engage with said pipe, and theinner sides of the jaws have the lengthwise ribs 10, 10, to fit into the grooves 7. The lower ends of said grooves are flared as at 11, so as to facilitate the insertion of the jaws on the flared faces 6. i The 7 upper ends of the faces 5, terminate at the abrupt shoulders 12 of the head, which shoulders form stops to limit the upward the hand and formed to fit downwardly through the grooves13, and contact against the upper ends of said jaws to expand them as hereinafter explained.

The sleeve 14 has the outwardly curved flexible friction members 16, 16, secured thereto. These friction members are prefera-bly of the form of flat springs which are fastened rigidly at their upper ends to the collar 14. The lower ends of these ribs have vertical slots as 17 and set screws, as 18, pass through said slots and are threaded into the collar 14, so as to forma slidable anchorage; of the'lowerends of the friction members 16' to said collar. ,As before stated the mandrel is. cylindrical and it has a central water course 1 extending through it from end to end. There is a comparatively light tubular rod 20 within the mandrel whose upper end projects up into the collar 2, and has a washer 21, secured thereon by means of a nut 22, and interposed between this we sher and the upper end of the mandrel and surrounding the rod 20, there is a comparatively strong coil spring 23. Beneath the movement of said jaws, and above the reshoulders 12 thehead has a comparatively wide keyway 2 f therethrough and a long key 25 is anchored to the lower end of the rod20 and'works in said keyway,; and the respective ends of said key arefitted into bearings 26, 26, cut transversely through the jaws 8, said jaws having a sliding fit on the respective ends of the key. This key is not of sufficient thickness to block the water passageway through the rod 20;

The operation of the device is as fol lows :-l hen the tool isto be letdown into the bore, the mandrel is turned in such position relative to the collar 14 that the extension 15 willrest upon the upper end 27 of the head. The pressure of the spring 23 will then be effective to operate through the rod 20' and the key 25, to hold the jaws 6 elevated against the shoulders 12, and they will be then in withdrawn or non pipe-engaging position. The tool is then let down into the bore and enters the pipe therein, and the friction members 16 will frictionally engage with said pipe sufficiently to hold the sleeve 14: against turning while manipulating the tool, but the friction will not be sufficient to prevent theupward or. downwardinovement of the tool. When it'is de sired to engagethe tool with the. pipe, the .stem 3 is given a partial turn, turning the mandrel with it, until the extensions 15 strikes the stops 28, 28, and are stopped in such position that the grooves 15 are aligned underneath the extensions 13, and an upward pull then exerted through the stem causes the lower ends of the extensions 15 to contact against the upper ends of the jaws 8 causing a relative downward movement of said jaws on the faces (3,and these faces being flared will cause saidjaws to move outwardly or expend into engagement with the pipe, and they will grip and hold the pipe so that a further upward pull on the stem 3 will in many casesdislodge the pipe so that it may be withdrawn.

Ifthe pipe cannot be pulled and it is dc sired to release the tool and withdraw it, the stem 3 is lowered so as to unseat the exten sions 15 from the grooves 13, and is then partly turned to bring said extensions and grooves out of alignment and thereupon the expansion of the spring 23 will withdraw the jaws 8 into upper position, as showniin Figure 2, thus causing themto also move inwardly to release the pipe and tool may then be readily withdrawn from thebore.

What I claim is: i I 1. A pipe engaging spear including a'sup port, a head carried by thesup'p'ort and liaving vertical side grooves and inclined portions beneath said grooves, jaws mounted to slide on said inclined portions, yieldable meanssustained by the support and connected to and supporting said'jaws, a sleeve on said support above said head whose lower end is formed with projections adapted to 3. A pipe engaging spear including a support, a head carried by the'support and having vertical, guides and inclined portions beneath the guides, jaws mounted to slide on said inclined portions, yieldable 'means sustained by the support and connected to and supporting said jaws, a member mounted onsaid support above the; head, projections carried by the lower end ofsa'id member and adapted to work through said guides. y v w 4. A pipe engaging spear including a support, a head carried by the support and having vertical guides and inclined portions beneath the guides, jawsmounted to slide on said inclined portions, yieldable means sustained by the support and connected to and supporting said .jaws, a inember'mounted on said support above the head, projections carried by the lower end of said member and adapted to work through said guides and external friction means onsaid member. i

'5. A pipe engaging spear including a support, a head carried by the support and having vertical guides and inclined portions beneath the guides, jaws mounted to slide on said inclined portions, yieldable means sustained by the support andconnectedto and supporting said jaws, a member mounted on said support above the head, projee tions carried by the lower end of said member and adapted to work through said guides, said spear having a water course extending from its upper to its lower end.

In testimony whereof I. have signed my name to. this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. V

' I WVALTER L. CHURCH.

Vitnesses E. V, HARDWAY, 4 W. H. DUNLAY. 

